Washington (CNN) - Americans' views of George W. Bush's presidency have improved since he left office, according to a new national poll. But a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Monday also indicates that four in ten continue to say that Bush was a poor president, and another third rate him as average.

In January, 2009, at the end of his second term, one in five said that Bush was a good president or one of the greatest. That number is up to 28 percent now, indicating how much Bush's stock has risen with the passage of time.

"But four in ten persist in calling him a poor president - higher than the number who felt that way in previous polls about Bush's father, Bill Clinton, or Ronald Reagan - which shows how much ground Bush has yet to make up in the public's mind, if not in the history books," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.

The survey's release comes one day after the former president was interviewed by CNN's Candy Crowley in a special edition of State of the Union.

The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted November 11-14, with 1,014 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.

Check out CNN's new Polling Center, which provides the most comprehensive polling data of any news organization in the political landscape.

soundoff(37 Responses)

proud mother of soldier

@Normajean...I don't know what you have read but never has the Obama administration been bipartisan except in words. Yes, the repubs have voted against him. Obama was a community organizer with socialist views. We need individuals to lead this country with experience in the private sector. We wouldn't be where we are with the dem spending, debt and now the QE2. I hope people in this country are watching Diane Sawyer report from China....it is really easy to see why they are more productive, save more and living within their means. Not like this country waiting to be taken care of with more government entitlements!

Bush was the right president when 9/11 occurred. He was decisive (a quality lacking now). He and Laura had presidental class...sorely lacking in the current administration. Think what you want, I'd take Bush over Clinton and Obama in a heartbeat!

November 15, 2010 07:04 pm at 7:04 pm |

Marie MD

We are soooooooooooooooo doomed as a nation that it's getting scary. I wonder how many families who lost loved ones think this moron is likeable. Any more jokes about looking for WMDs under a desk?
He was probabl told to keep a low profile until after the November elections so as not to remind the country of what a dufus we had as president for eight years and how he tanked our country!
I fear for our children and grandchildren.

November 15, 2010 07:06 pm at 7:06 pm |

Dave

Bush actually having approval ratings and people loving Sarah Palin are just more signs of the dumbing down of this country. By 2050, cities will actually employ people to mop drool off of sidewalks...

November 15, 2010 07:12 pm at 7:12 pm |

welches, oregon

Look at the Shrub, trying to rewrite history – too back for him – history has been videotaped.

November 15, 2010 07:23 pm at 7:23 pm |

ingrid

Aagh. I did not think Bush was evil but deeply misguided as President and now as a former President my opinion of him has not changed. But to think according to the CNN poll that there is a slight bump in people liking him is a sad statement about the American mindset and their ability to forget so quickly. I bet if you saw him holding a cute puppy he would get another bump upwards in popularity.

November 15, 2010 07:33 pm at 7:33 pm |

Ancient Texan

President Bush is good man and was a good President. In ten years or less, he will be regarded as a great president, Much like Harry Truman rebounded with the passage of time. Normajean-. PresidentObama is the most partisan and arrogant President of the thirteen I've lived under. His gesture of bi-partisanship was always preceded with his constant bashing and condensending remarks. Everything had to be his way. Period. The Republicans had to be the voice that said enough spending is enough. Stop! I'm proud of them and the last election said the people were too.

November 15, 2010 07:40 pm at 7:40 pm |

Monster Zero

Yeah that miserable George Bush, I had a great job with a six figure income....Now I can lay around unemployed all day long, thanks Barry!

November 15, 2010 07:44 pm at 7:44 pm |

Tsah from Virginia

It does not matter what PEOPLE think about Bush because the historians are going to paint it differently. All Bush is trying to do now is 'rewrite' that history!! He CAN'T!!!

Bush wants people that are LIVING today to see a different picture of him... 100 years from now almost everyone living will be DEAD!!! So the approval rating that keeps going UP and DOWN and AROUND means NOTHING!!!

People are NOW saying BUSH is better than President Obama??? Two years ago, it was the other way around. So what does it mean?? NOTHING!!! My Case in My POINT!!!

People are also trying to write President Obama's history in TWO YEARS!!! Some are stating “…President Obama is the worst President in our history…” Yep, a two year history!!! Please, enough is enough with this CRAP! If anyone feels that BUSH is the BEST President we ever had in our history – something is WRONG with that picture!!

T'sah is N2 MOVING AMERICA FORWARD with our current Leader, President Obama.... he is really making history and it's NOT going to require him to REWRITE it!!

November 15, 2010 07:44 pm at 7:44 pm |

Ed FL

4,400 of Americas sons,daughters and fathers DEAD, 34,000 plus Americas military wounded and wasted in an unecessary war, Billions of dollars unaccounted for for this G W Bush playland. Enough Said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

November 15, 2010 07:48 pm at 7:48 pm |

John Barth

Your poll is flawed. Count how "many in ten" you have and the numbers add up to too many. Who did you poll? How was your sample taken?..Haven't answered anything!

November 15, 2010 08:06 pm at 8:06 pm |

Mark

After Obama Bush isn't looking so bad!

November 15, 2010 08:27 pm at 8:27 pm |

tim

@Ben from Texas, he is secound the first war criminal was FDR, Bush NEVER imprisoned the american muslim population, but FDR did that to the Japonese, yet not to Germans or Italians. Another the other two presendents on the same list would be Johnson for Vietnam and Wilson for his treatment of disidents like Debs. Yes Bush is amoung the "Leaders" the 20th century america, those guilty of war crimes.